Propelling mechanism for aeroplanes and the like



July 28, 1925.-

I C. Y. KNIGHT PROPELLING MECHANISM, FOR AEROPLANES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 17, 1918 772067J0 7 Char/ea" X wig/m I M 27 M wfizyj I v bore of the shaft.

Patented July 28, 1925.

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, or PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR T0 KNIGHT AMERICAN I PA'rnN'r's COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPORATION'OF DELA AR rnornLLING MECHANISM roa AnaorLANEs AND THE LIKE.

Applicationfiled October 17, 1918. Serial No. 258,525.

- dent of the city of-Pasadena, in thecounty of Los Angeles and' State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling Mechanism for Aeroplanes and the like, of which the fol lowing is a specification. v

My invention relates to propelling mechathe provision of a hollow shaft for carrying a. propeller and driven by one or more motors, or power units. I

I 1 Another object is the provision of a propeller shaft or other driven shaft having aplurality of driving units disposed around such shaft andconnected with the latter in such a mannerthat the motor units direct their power to the said shaft through'a gear 'on'the latter.

[A further object-is the provision of a m n and eificient-m'ean for directing the shots from a gunihrough the axial center ofan aeroplane *propeller' without having A still further objectisthe rovision of a hollow propeller shaft which s all serve as a guide through which todischarge projectiles, giving a rotary 'moti'oni'to' the lattfir t e Another object is the provision of i'ri v 7 ing connection between the engine and pro- "peller' shaft which "lWlll minimize the transmission of engine vibrations to the propeller shaft.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. A diagrammaticrepresentation ofmy invention is illustrated, in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which'the figure is afra ental side view of'an aeroplane construction em'- bodying my invention, and having portions cut away .to expose underlying parts.

'In using rapid fire guns on aeroplanes g fand the like, it'is necessary to mount such not pass through the gahs of the propellers or else to time the 'gunsin positions where shots therefrom will ing of such guns so that the shots will pass between the pro peller blades. In my proposed construction I mount thegun .barrel in such a mancommunicated to ner that it may be rotated and fix thepropeller on the gun barrel so that'shots from such shafts but it will be understood that msm particularly applicable to aeroplanea- I k as many as maybe desired may be provided, w and the like, and'has for one of ItS ObjGGtS It is also to be understood that each engine I shaft 6 may be driven by. one or more motors: Inthe drawing one cylinder 7 is shown in connection with each shaft 6, but

when multi-cylinder engines are to be used,

the other cylinders would be disposed di- I rectl and connect withit a connecting rod 9 shaft 6. a y w s The engines are so arranged with relation to the propeller shaft that the connecting rods swing in a plane parallel to-or coincident with a plane embracing the longitudinal axis of the crank shaft. By this means behind the one indicated. :In each of t e cylinders 7 I provide a piston 8 H which also connects with a wrist pin 10 and the latter carried by a gear wheel 11 on a vibrations setup by the movement of the connecting rods travel in a plane at right angles to that of the-transverse vibrations the propeller shaft through the gears. Thus both sets of vibrations instead of tending to augmentione another as they do in constructions in which rotation of the ropel1er,shaft,tend to inter fere with and estroy one another:

I have indicated each wheelrll as having gear teeth 12 on "itsperipherysmes'hing with 00-". "the connecting rods. swingin the plane of a worm or other form of spiral, gear '13 which is fixed on a shaft v14 which servesas. the barrel for the'gun. I have found that the spiral gear of which the worm is one type to be most eifectu'alin' dampening or absorbing the transverse impact stresses nicated from the motorto the propeller shaft through the gearing. This'is' due to the fact that in the spiral gear several teeth are always in engagement, which distributes the stress over a large mass and because the teeth siide along one another'so that whatwould be an impact blow at one point between two teeth of a spur gear is in the s or vibrations-which are ordinarily commuspiral gear spread over an appreciable surface. Some of the shock, too'zis absorbed in sliding frictiom between the gear teeth. The un barrel and shaft 14 are mounted in suitable bearings 15 in the frame 5. I have indicated the bearings'15 as being of metal such as are usually made of babbitt, bronze or other anti-friction metal, but it will be understood that any other form of bearing may be used when desired. The gear 13 is provided with-hubs 16 which engage the bearings 15 in order to take the thrusts on the shaft or gun barrel 14. It will be understood, however, that any other means for taking the thrusts of shaft 14 may be provided.

I have indicatedthe frame 5 as being mounted on angle bars 17.. This holds 'the frame .5 against rotation and is simply used to illustrate a construction in which the frame 5 is held against rotation while the shaft 14 is rotated. In some types of engines it may be desirable to make different arrangements from those just mentioned.

On the forward end of the propeller shaft and gun barrel 14 I fix a propeller 18 which may desirable manner.

i that the charges may be easily placed At the inner end of'thegun barrel or shaft 14, I have indicated a gun breech mechanism 19. In this construction", the gun breech is preferably held stationary so into it in any conventional manner and so that in shooting such charges, the shots will be directed through the rotating barrel 14. The barrel 14 is preferably provided with rifles, not shown, which should be either straight or curved in such a manner as to give the desired rotary s eed to the shot. The direction of these ri es is determined by the speed of the propeller shaft or gun barrel 14 and the forward speed of the projectile discharged.

In an aeroplane equipped with my construction, such aeroplane is directed toward 4 the desired target which enables the gun -all of the power is transmitted from one driving shaft to a driven shaft, and also tends to equalize the strains on the frame and other parts of the mechanism.

While I have described my invention in more or less detail and as being embodied in certain precise forms I do not desire or be of any conventional'or preferredpattern and secured'to the shaft 14 in any intend it to be thereby limited, as on the contrary the invention contemplates broadly all proper changes-as well as the omission of immaterial elements and the substitution of equivalents therefor as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim:

1. In a propeller-shaft gun assembly, a propeller shaft boredfor'the discharge of projectiles therethrough, an engine having a piston arranged in operative relation to said shaft, a connecting rod actuated by said piston and swinging in substantially the plane of the longitudinal axis of the shaft, means co-operating with said connecting rod and shaft respectively to transmit rotary-motion to the latter.

2. In a propelling device for aeroplanes, a propelling shaft having a passage therethrough for the discharge'of projectiles, a motor for operating said shaft, a drive shaft for said motor supported at right angles to the longitudinal aims of said propeller shaft, and a train of spiral gears connecting said drive shaft with said propeller shaft.

3. In a propellin device for aeroplanes, a propelling shaft having a passage therethroughfor the discharge of projectiles, a

motor for operating said shaft, a drive shaft for said motor supported at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said'propeller shaft, and means for transmitting power from said driving shaft-to the propeller shaft.

4. In a device of the character described, an. aeroplane propeller shaft, a motor for operating said shaft a connecting rod for said motor arranged parallel to and including the longitudinal axis of said pro eller shaft, and means to transmit owerrom said connecting rod to the'propeller shaft.

5. In a device of the character described, an aeroplane propeller shaft, a motor for operating said shaft, a connecting rod for' said motor arranged to swing in a plane 'parallel to and including the longitudinal axis of said propeller shaft, and, a train of spiral-gears connecting said rod with said propeller shaft.

6. In combination, a propeller shaft, a plurality of motors arranged radially around saidshaft for operating the same, a

to swing 1n av planedrive shaft for each motor, each of said drive shafts lying in a plane at substantial right angles to the propeller shaft, a spiral gear on each drive shaft, and a spiral gear on the propeller shaft engaging with said drive shaft. gears. v

7. In combination, a propeller shaft having a passage therethrough for the discharge of rojectiles, a plurality of motors arranged ra ially around said shaft for operating the same, a drive shaft for each motor, said drive shafts-lying in a plane at'substantially right angles to the propeller shaft, a spiral gear on each drive shaft, and a spiral gear on the propeller shaft engaging with the drive shaft gears.

8. In a device of the class described, a propeller shaft having a bore therethrough for the discharge of projectiles, a plurality of motors arranged radially of said shaft, each motor having a connecting rod arranged to swin in substantially the plane of the longitudinal axis of the propeller shaft, means actuated by said connecting rods to transmit'motion to said propeller shaft.

9. In a device of the class described, a propeller shaft having a bore therethrough for the discharge of projectiles, a plurality swing in substantia ly'the plane of the longitudinal axis of the propeller shaft, a spiral 11. In a propeller shaft construction, a

crank case having oppositely alined openings, a propeller shaft journaled in saidopemngs, a cylinder mounted on said crank case, a piston in said cylinder provided with a connecting rod, a gear on the propeller shaft within the crank case in the plane of the axis of said cylinder, and transmission means between said connecting rod and gear.

12. In a ropeller shaft construction, a crank case avlng oppositely alined openings, a propeller shaft journaled in said openings having a bore therethrough for the discharge of projectiles, a cylinder mounted on said crank case, a piston in said cylinder provided with a connecting rod, a gear on the propeller shaft within the crank case, in the plane of the axis of said cylinder, and transmission means between said connecting rod and gear.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification onthis 14th day of October, A. D. 1918.

CHARLES Y'. KNIGHT. 

